0 


Thoughts  of  the  Cure  of  Ars 

(John  Baptist  Vianney) 


“  Sicut  odor  agri  pleni.” 

—  Gen.  xxvii.  27. 


Translated  by  Pauline  P.  Stump. 


Published  for  the 
Benefit  of  the  Boston  Carmel. 


Boston : 

Flynn  6°  Mahony ,  Publishers. 

i8<p6. 


Copyright ,  1896, 

By  Flynn  &  Mahony. 


Press  of  John  C ashman  &  Co. 
Boston ,  Mass. 


^x^loo, 
vs$< j 

EDITOR’S  PREFACE. 


Go,  little  flowers,  whither  the  hand  of  the  good 
God  sends  you.  Open  your  petals,  exhale  your 
fragrance  and  embalm  the  souls  of  all  who  see  you  : 
Florete ,  Flores  .  .  .  Date  Odorern  Ft  Frondete  In 
Gratiam. 

Be  not  ephemeral,  like  those  flowers  of  our  gar¬ 
dens  that  bloom  and  die  in  a  day ;  but  bear  fruits 
—  fruits  containing  the  seeds  of  vitality:  Semen 
Fst  Verbum. 

May  every  word  of  these  pages,  falling  upon  the 
soil  of  upright  hearts  enriched  by  fervent  prayer 
and  meditation,  be  like  the  germ  which,  heated  and 
nourished  by  favorable  influences,  expands  into  a 
beautiful  flower,  a  magnificent  tree.  Let  a  new 
stem  arise  therefrom,  with  its  branches,  its  per¬ 
fumes,  its  treasures,  — the  fruits  of  honor  and  sanc¬ 
tity  :  Flores  Mei,  Fructus  Honoris  Ft  Honestatis  ! 
Amen  ! 

A.  MENNIN. 

I 

Paris,  Vigil  of  Our  Lord’s  Nativity,  1867. 

H  f7  £?  £? 


The  Infant  Jesus  oilers  His  friends  a  tiny  bou¬ 
quet,  culled  from  one  of  his  choicest  gardens. 
Although  years  have  passed  since  these  flowerets, 
springing  from  the  heart  of  the  saintly  Curd  of 
Ars,  first  opened  their  petals  to  the  light  of  day, 
and  many  who  then  enjoyed  their  beauty  and  fra¬ 
grance  have  descended  to  the  tomb,  even  as  the 
holy  Curd  himself,  yet,  like  all  other  plants  of 
celestial  origin,  they  are  imperishable  ;  time’s  with¬ 
ering  hand  neither  leaves  blight  upon  their  beauty 
nor  diminishes  the  sweet  odor  which  they  erst  pos¬ 
sessed.  May  all  who  receive  them  now  be  em¬ 
balmed  with  this  odor ;  and,  while  praising  God  for 
the  graces  that  He  vouchsafed  to  bestow  upon  the 
work  of  His  own  hands,  —  the  man  whose  life  of 
heroic  abnegation  challenges  the  admiration  even 
of  unbelievers  and  loudly  calls  for  a  place  on  our 
altars,  —  may  they,  during  the  devious  course  of 
life’s  pilgrimage,  learn  to  look  beyond  earth’s  mists 
and  vapors  to  that  home  on  high,  where  an  incor¬ 
ruptible  crown  awaits  all  who  have  fought  the  good 
fight. 


TRANSLATOR. 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


I.  —  Salvation  . 

II.  —  Love  For  God  . 

III.  —  The  Pure  Soul  . 

IV.  —  The  Holy  Spirit 

V.  —  The  Blessed  Virgin 
VI.  —  Prayer 
VII.  —  The  Priest  . 

VIII.  —  The  Eucharist  . 
IX.  —  Sin 
X.  —  Hell  . 

XI.  —  Suffering  . 


XII.  —  Hope  and  Heaven 


THOUGHTS  OF  THE  CURE  OF  ARS. 


i. 

SALVATION. 

We  know  the  value  of  our  soul  by  the  efforts 
that  God  makes  to  save  it  and  the  demon  to  cast  it 
into  perdition.  All  Hell  is  leagued  against  it,  all 
Heaven  in  its  favor.  Oh,  how  inestimable  it  must  be  ! 

To  form  an  idea  of  our  dignity,  we  must  often 
think  of  Heaven,  Calvary  and  Hell. 

We  are  as  little  mirrors  in  which  God  contem¬ 
plates  Himself. 

We  are  in  this  world  but  not  of  this  world,  since 
we  daily  repeat  these  words,  Our  Father  Who  Art 
In  Heaven. 

We  are  much,  and  we  are  nothing.  .  .  There  is 
nothing  more  grand  than  man  when  we  regard  his 
soul,  nothing  less  so  when  we  regard  his  body. 

We  occupy  ourselves  with  the  body  as  if  our 
greatest  care,  our  sole  care,  should  be  for  it ;  while, 
on  the  contrary,  our  greatest  care  should  be  to 
despise  it. 

How  shameful  it  is  for  man  to  descend  so  low  — 
man,  whom  God  has  placed  so  high  ! 


8 


THOUGHTS  OF  THE  CURE  OF  ARS. 


Good  Christians,  who  labor  to  secure  their  salva¬ 
tion,  are  always  content  and  happy ;  for  they  enjoy  in 
advance  the  happiness  of  Heaven,  and  they  will  be 
happy  during  all  eternity ;  while  bad  Christians,  who 
take  no  thought  for  their  souls,  are  greatly  to  be 
pitied ;  they  murmur,  they  are  sad,  they  are  miser¬ 
able  in  this  world,  and  they  will  be  so  during  all 
eternity.  What  a  contrast ! 


II. 

LOVE  FOR  GOD. 

How  beautiful  to  have  a  heart  with  which,  little 
as  it  is,  we  may  love  God  ! 

How  beautiful  to  be  able  to  please  God,  lowly 
creatures  though  we  are  ! 

Man  has  been  created  for  love  ;  this  explains  why 
he  is  so  borne  towards  it.  From  one  point  of  view, 
he  is  so  great  that  nothing  on  earth  can  satisfy  him, 
and  it  is  only  when  he  turns  towards  God  that  he  is 
satisfied.  Keep  a  fish  out  of  the  water  and  it  dies. 
Man  without  God  is  like  that  fish. 

To  love  God  !  Oh,  how  beautiful !  In  Heaven 
alone  does  one  comprehend  love.  Prayer  aids  us 
a  little  herein,  because  prayer  is  the  elevation  of 
the  souFto  Heaven.  .  . 

The  more  we  know  men,  the  less  we  love  them. 
It  is  just  the  contrary  in  regard  to  God,  the  more 


THOUGHTS  OF  THE  CURE  OF  ARS. 


9 


we  know  Him,  the  more  we  love  Him.  This  knowl¬ 
edge  inflames  the  soul  with  so  great  love  that  it  can 
no  longer  love  nor  desire  anything  but  God. 

Without  faith,  one  is  blind.  He  who  does  not 
see,  does  not  know ;  he  who  does  not  know,  does 
not  love ;  he  who  does  not  love  God,  loves  himself, 
and,  at  the  same  time,  his  pleasures.  He  attaches 
his  heart  to  things  that  vanish  like  smoke.  He  can 
know  neither  the  truth  nor  aught  of  good.  He 
can  know  only  falsehood  because  he  has  not  the 
light.  Had  he  the  light,  he  would  see  clearly  that 
all  that  he  loves  can  bring  him  only  death  everlasting. 

Except  the  good  God  there  is  nothing  solid.  As 
to  life,  it  passes  away ;  fortune  may  take  wings, 
health  be  lost,  reputation  attacked.  Everything 
slips  from  our  grasp. 

How  greatly  are  they  to  be  pitied  who  place  their 
affections  upon  such  things  !  They  do  this  because 
they  love  them  too  much ;  but  it  is  not  with  a 
reasonable  love,  it  is  with  love  of  self  and  of  the 
world,  by  seeking  self  and  creatures  more  than  God. 
Wherefore,  they  are  never  tranquil,  never  happy, 
but  ever  restless,  harassed,  tormented  in  mind. 

Were  a  king  to  summon  one  of  his  subjects  into 
his  presence  and  say  to  him  “  I  wish  to  make  you 
happy ;  remain  with  me  and  share  all  my  goods ; 
I  ask  only  that  you  will  not  displease  me  by  any 
violation  of  what  is  right  and  just,”  how  eagerly 
and  earnestly  would  not  this  subject  endeavor  to 
satisfy  his  prince.  Now,  God  makes  the  same 
advances  to  us  and  we  do  not  appreciate  His  friend¬ 
ship,  we  seem  to  care  naught  for  His  promises  ! 


IO 


THOUGHTS  OF  THE  CURE  OF  ARS. 


i 

III. 

THE  PURE  SOUL. 

When  one  has  preserved  his  innocence,  he  feels 
himself  borne  aloft  by  love,  even  as  a  bird  is  borne 
upward  by  its  wings. 

A  Christian  possessing  purity  of  soul  is,  in  this 
world,  as  a  bird  tied  by  a  string.  Poor  little  bird  ! 
It  is  ever  awaiting  the  moment  when  the  string 
shall  be  cut,  that  it  may  fly  away. 

Good  Christians  are  like  those  birds  with  very 
large  wings  and  small  feet,  which  never  rest  upon 
the  ground,  lest,  being  unable  to  rise  again,  they 
should  be  captured.  They  build  their  nests  in 
elevated  places ;  on  the  summits  of  rocks  ;  on  the 
house-tops.  Even  so  should  the  Christian  ever 
seek  the  heights.  As  soon  as  we  turn  our  thoughts 
to  earth,  we  are  captive. 

A  pure  soul  is  like  a  beautiful  pearl.  '  When  con¬ 
cealed  in  a  shell,  at  the  bottom  of  the  sea,  no  one 
admires  it,  but  bring  it  forth  to  the  sun,  it  becomes 
radiant  and  attracts  the  admiration  of  all.  It  is 
thus  the  pure  soul,  although  concealed  from  the 
eyes  of  the  world,  will  one  day  shine  before  the 
angels  in  the  sun  of  eternity. 

The  pure  soul  is  a  beautiful  rose,  and  the  Three 
Divine  Persons  descend  from  Heaven  to  inhale  its 
fragrance. 

There  is  nothing  so  beautiful  as  a  pure  soul !  If 
this  were  fully  understood  no  one  would  ever  lose 


THOUGHTS  OF  THE  CURE  OF  ARS.  II 

his  purity.  The  pure  soul  is  disengaged  not  only 
from  material,  and  from  worldly  things,  but  also 
from  itself. 

We  must  close  our  heart  to  pride,  sensuality 
and  all  other  passions  .  .  .  for  when  the  doors 

and  windows  of  a  house  are  closed  no  one  can 
enter. 

All  Heaven  regards  the  pure  soul  with  eyes  of 
love  ! 

Pure  souls  shall  form  a  circle  around  our 
Lord.  The  purer  one  has  been  on  earth,  the 
nearer  will  he  be  to  our  Lord  in  Heaven. 

When  the  heart  is  pure  it  cannot  help  loving,  be¬ 
cause  it  has  found  the  source  of  love,  which  is  God. 
'  The  power  that  a  pure  soul  has  over  the  good 
God  is  ihcpmprehensible.  It  is  not  that  this  soul 
does  God’s  will,  but  that  God  does  its  will. 

God  contemplates  with  love  the  pure  soul,  and 
grants  all  its  petitions.  How  could  He  resist  a 
soul  that  lives  only  for  Him,  by  Him  and  in  Him 
It  seeks  God  and  God  shows  Himself  to  it,  it  calls 
Him  and  He  comes  ;  it  makes  itself  one  with  Him  ; 
it  enchains  His  will. 

A  pure  soul  is  with  God  like  an  infant  with  its 
mother;  it  caresses  and  embraces  her;  and  the 
mother  returns  these  caresses  and  embraces. 


12 


THOUGHTS  OF  THE  CURE  OF  ARS. 

i 

IV. 

THE  HOLY  SPIRIT. 

Man  is  wholly  terrestrial  and  animal ;  and  only 
the  Holy  Spirit  can  elevate  his  soul  and  bear  it 
aloft. 

Why  were  the  saints  so  detached  from  earth  ? 
Because  they  abandoned  themselves  to  the  guid¬ 
ance  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

They  who  trust  to  the  guidance  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  are  truly  enlightened.  Behold  the  reason 
why  so  many  of  the  unlettered  know  more  than  the 
learned :  when  one  is  guided  by  the  God  of 
strength  and  of  light,  he  cannot  be  deceived. 

Like  those  glasses  which  magnify  every  object 
seen  through  them,  so  does  the  Holy  Spirit  give 
us  a  clear  vision  of  good  and  evil.  With  the  aid 
of  the  Holy  Spirit,  we  see  everything  standing 
out  in  bold  characters, —  the  grandeur  of  our  least 
actions  done  for  God  and  the  enormity  of  our  least 
faults.  As  the  watch-maker,  by  means  of  his 
glasses,  distinguishes  the  smallest  wheels  of  a 
watch,  even  so,  by  the  light  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  do 
we  distinguish  every  detail  of  our  poor  lives 
Then,  the  least  imperfections  appear  very  great 
and  the  least  sins  fill  us  with  horror. 

They  who  possess  the  Holy  Spirit  cannot  be 
puffed  up  with  self,  because  they  have  so  clear  a 
vision  of  their  own  miseries.  The  proud  have  not 
the  Holy  Spirit. 


THOUGHTS  OF  THE  CURE  OF  ARS .  13 

The  worldly  have  not  the  Holy  Spirit,  or,  if  so, 
it  is  but  for  a  time  ;  He  lingers  not  with  them  ;  He  is 
banished  by  the  tumult  and  noise  of  the  world. 

The  eye  of  the  world  sees  not  beyond  this  life. 
The  Christian’s  eye  looks  even  into  the  depths  of 
eternity. 

For  that  man  who  abandons  himself  to  the 
guidance  of  the  Holy  Spirit  there  seems  to  be  no 
world ;  for  the  world,  there  seems  to  be  no  God. 

They  who  trust  to  the  guidance  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  experience  within  themselves  every  manner 
of  happiness,  while  bad  Christians  roll  themselves 
upon  thorns  and  sharp  stones. 

A  soul  possessing  the  Holy  Spirit  is  never 
weary  in  God’s  presence  :  from  its  heart  exudes  a 
balm  of  love. 

Take  in  one  hand  a  sponge  saturated  with 
water,  and  in  the  other  a  stone,  press  them 
equally.  From  the  stone  you  will  obtain  nothing, 
while  the  sponge  will  yield  an  abundance  of  water. 
The  sponge  represents  the  soul  filled  with  the 
Holy  Spirit,  and  the  stone,  the  hard,  cold  heart 
in  which  the  Holy  Spirit  does  not  dwell. 

When  one  has  the  Holy  Spirit  the  heart  ex¬ 
pands  and  immerses  itself  in  divine  love.  The  fish 
never  complains  of  having  too  much  water :  and 
the  pious  Christian  never  complains  of  spend¬ 
ing  too  much  time  with  the  good  God.  Some  per¬ 
sons  find  religion  wearisome  :  these  have  not  the 
Holy'  Spirit. 

If  one  were  to  inquire  of  the  damned,  “  Why  are 


14  THOUGHTS  OF  THE  CUR&  OF  AES. 

you  in  Hell  ?  ”  they  would  answer,  “  For  having  re¬ 
sisted  the  Holy  Spirit  ;  ”  and  if  one  were  to  ask  the 
saints,  “  Why  are  you  in  Heaven  ?  ”  they  would  an¬ 
swer,  “For  having  heeded  the  Holy  Spirit.  ” 

The  good  God,  in  sending  us  the  Holy  Spirit 
acts  towards  us  like  a  great  king  who  charges  his 
minister  with  the  guidance  of  one  of  his  subjects, 
saying :  “  Accompany  this  man  everywhere,  and 
bring  him  back  to  me  safe  and  sound.”  Oh  !  how 
admirable  a  thing  it  is  to  be  accompanied  by  the 
Holy  Spirit  !  Oh  !  what  a  good  guide  !  And  to 
think  that  there  are  persons  who  will  not  follow 
Him! 

The  Holy  Spirit  reposes  in  the  souls  of  the  just 
as  the  dove  in  its  nest.  He  brings  forth  good  de¬ 
sires  in  a  pure  soul,  even  as  the  dove  hatches  its 
little  ones. 

The  Holy  Spirit  guides  us  as  a  mother  leads  by 
the  hand  her  two-year-old  child,  or,  as  one  who 
has  his  sight  leads  the  blind. 

The  Holy  Spirit  reposes  in  a  pure  soul  as  upon  a 
bed  of  roses. 

The  soul  which  is  the  abode  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
gives  forth  a  good  odor,  like  unto  the  vine  when  in 
flower. 

As  a  beautiful  white  dove  arises  from  the  wave, 
and,  on  land,  shakes  off  the  water  from  its  wings,  so 
does  the  Holy  Spirit,  arising  from  the  infinite 
ocean  of  divine  perfections,  flutter  His  wings  over 
pure  souls  to  distil  upon  them  the  balm  of  love. 


THOUGHTS  OF  THE  CUR&  OF  ARS. 


15 


V. 


THE  BLESSED  VIRGIN. 

The  Blessed  Virgin  is  the  mediatrix  between  her 
Son  and  ourselves. 

The  Son  possesses  the  quality  of  justice,  but  the 
Mother  is  wholly  love, 

God  has  so  loved  us  as  even  to  die  for  us ;  but 
in  our  Lord’s  Heart  there  is  justice, —  justice  a 
divine  attribute.  In  the  Blessed  Virgin’s  heart  there 
is  only  mercy.  .  .  .  Her  Son  is  about  to  punish 
a  sinner,  Mary  hastens  to  stay  the  uplifted  sword, 
and  asks  pardon  for  the  unhappy  culprit. 
“  Mother,  ”  replies  our  Lord,  “  I  can  refuse  you 
nothing.  Were  it  possible  for  the  damned  to  re¬ 
pent,  you  would  obtain  their  pardon.  ” 

Devotion  to  the  Blessed  Virgin  is  strong,  sweet, 
full  of  spiritual  nourishment. 

We  do  not  enter  a  house  without  speaking  to  the 
porter;  the  Blessed  Virgin  is  the  portress  of 
Heaven. 

Our  hands,  when  they  have  touched  spices,  im¬ 
part  fragrance  to  all  that  they  touch.  If  we  wish 
to  embalm  our  prayers,  let  us  offer  them  through 
the  hands  of  the  Blessed  Virgin. 

At  the  end  of  time,  the  Blessed  Virgin  will  be 
very  quiet,  but  as  long  as  the  world  lasts,  she  will, 
like  a  mother  with  many  children,  be  continually 
occupied  in  going  from  one  to  another. 


i6 


THOUGHTS  OF  THE  CURg  OF  ARS. 


i 


VI. 


PRAYER. 

The  Christian’s  treasure  is  not  upon  earth,  but 
in  Heaven,  and  our  thoughts  should  be  where  our 
treasure  is. 

Man  has  a  beautiful  office,  —  that  of  praying  and 
of  loving.  To  pray,  to  love,  —  behold  man’s  happi¬ 
ness  upon  earth ! 

Prayer  is  a  foretaste  of  Heaven,  a  product  of 
paradise.  It  always  brings  sweetness  to  the  soul. 

Troubles  melt  away  before  prayer  as  snow  be¬ 
fore  the  sun. 

Man  has  two  cries,  the  cry  of  the  angel  and  that 
of  the  beast.  The  cry  of  the  angel  is  prayer,  the 
cry  of  the  beast  is  sin. 

They  who  pray  not  are  bent  to  earth,  like  the 
mole  striving  to  dig  a  hole  in  which  to  conceal 
itself.  They  are  wholly  terrestrial,  wholly  animal, 
and  think  only  of  the  things  of  time. 

What  sweet  satisfaction  do  we  not  experience  in 
forgetting  self  to  seek  God  ! 

Were  Heaven  but  one  day  without  adoration,  it 
would  no  longer  be  Heaven ;  and  if  the  damned 
could  adore,  Hell  would  no  longer  be  Hell,  despite 
all  its  torments. 

Alas !  poor  reprobates !  they  had  a  heart  with 
which  to  love  God,  a  tongue  wherewith  to  bless 
Him  —  such  was  their  destiny,  and  yet  they  are 
condemned  to  curse  Him  during  all  eternity  !  If 


THOUGHTS  OF  THE  CURE  OF  ARS. 


1 7 


they  had  the  hope  of  only  once  being  able  to  pray, 
for  even  a  moment,  they  would  so  impatiently 
await  this  moment,  that  the  hope  would  be  an 
alleviation  of  their  torments. 

Our  tongue  should  be  employed  only  in  praying, 
our  heart  in  loving,  our  eyes  in  weeping. 

It  is  always  springtime  in  the  heart  united  to 
God. 

Prayer  is  an  embalmed  dew ;  but  we  must  pray 
with  a  pure  heart  in  order  to  perceive  this  dew. 

A  savory  sweetness  exudes  from  prayer,  even  as 
the  juice  from  a  very  ripe  grape. 

Prayer  disengages  our  soul  from  matter  and  ele¬ 
vates  it  on  high  even  as  the  fire  inflates  balloons. 

When  we  pray,  let  us  open  our  heart  to  God  as 
the  fish  spreads  out  its  fins,  when  it  sees  the  coming 
wave. 

Unhappily,  our  hearts  are  not  sufficiently  free 
nor  pure  of  all  terrestrial  affection.  A  very  dry, 
clean  sponge,  soaked  in  a  liquid  will  become  thor¬ 
oughly  saturated  therewith,  while  if  not  dry  and 
clean,  it  lacks  the  power  of  absorption.  Even  so 
is  it  with  the  heart :  when  not  free  and  disengaged 
from  things  of  earth,  vainly  do  we  steep  it  in 
prayer,  it  absorbs  nothing  therefrom. 

Heaven  dissolves  and  melts  away  in  the  souls 
of  the  saints.  They  bathe  themselves  and  are 
drowned  in  its  overflowing  waters. 

As  the  disciples  upon  Tabor  saw  no  longer  any 
one  save  Jesus,  so  interior  souls  see  on  the  Tabor 
of  their  hearts  none  but  Him.  These  are  two 
friends  that  never  weary  of  each  other. 


1 8  THOUGHTS  OF  THE  CURE  OF  ARS. 

i 

The  interior  life  is  a  bath  of  love  in  which  the 
soul  immerses  itself. 

God  holds  the  interior  man  as  a  mother  holds 
the  head  of  her  child  in  her  hands,  to  cover  it  with 
kisses  and  caresses. 

Union  with  Jesus  Christ,  union  with  the  Cross 
—  behold  salvation ! 

To  be  loved  by  God,  to  be  united  to  God,  to  live 
in  God’s  presence,  to  live  for  God  —  oh  !  beautiful 
life  and  beautiful  death  ! 


VII. 

THE  PRIEST. 

Who  is  it  that  received  our  soul  at  its  entrance 
into  life  ?  The  priest.  Who  supplies  it  with  the 
life-giving  nourishment  in  the  strength  of  which  it 
is  enabled  to  make  its  earthly  pilgrimage  ?  The 
priest.  Who  will  prepare  it  to  appear  before  God,  . 
by  washing  this  soul  a  last  time  in  the  Blood  of 
Jesus  Christ  ?  The  priest,  always  the  priest.  And 
should  this  soul  die,  who  will  resuscitate  it,  who 
restore  its  lost  peace  and  happiness  ?  Still  the 
priest.  We  cannot  recall  a  single  one  of  God’s 
benefits,  without  perceiving  the  priest  standing  be¬ 
side  it. 

God’s  other  benefits  without  the  priest  would 
avail  us  nothing.  Of  what  use  to  us  were  a  house 


THOUGHTS  OF  THE  CURE  OF  ARS. 


J9 


filled  with  gold  were  there  no  one  to  open  to  us 
the  door  ?  The  priest  holds  the  keys  of  the  celes¬ 
tial  treasures ;  it  is  he  who  opens  the  doors  leading 
thereto ;  he  is  God’s  treasurer,  the  administrator  of 
His  goods. 

After  God,  the  priest  is  all !  .  .  .  Leave  a 

parish  twenty  years  without  a  priest,  and  the  people 
will  adore  beasts. 

When  you  see  a  priest  you  should  say  to  your¬ 
self,  “Behold  him  who  has  made  me  a  child  of 
God,  opening  Heaven  to  me  by  holy  Baptism,  him 
who  purifies  me  when  I  sin,  him  who  feeds  my 
soul ! ” 

We  set  a  great  value  upon  objects  that  have  been 
placed  on  the  cup  of  the  Infant  Jesus  and  the 
Blessed  Virgin,  at  Loretto,  but  are  not  the  fingers 
of  the  priest  that  have  touched  the  adorable  flesh 
of  Jesus  Christ,  that  have  been  plunged  in  the 
chalice  containing  His  Blood,  the  ciborium  where 
reposes  His  Body,  far  more  precious  ? 

The  priest  is  the  love  of  the  Heart  of  Jesus. 
When  you  see  a  priest  think  of  our  Lord. 

The  priest  is  for  you  as  the  mother,  the  nurse  of 
a  babe  but  a  few  months’  old.  She  gives  it  its 
nourishment,  for  which  it  has  only  to  open  its 
mouth.  The  mother  says  to  her  child,  “  Come,  my 
little  one,  eat  ”  ;  and  the  priest  says  to  you,  “  Be¬ 
hold  the  Body  of  Jesus  Christ!  Take  ye  and  eat ! 
May  it  preserve  your  soul  unto  life  everlasting !  ” 
Oh,  beautiful  words  ! 

A  child  when  it  sees  its  mother,  runs  to  her  and 


20 


THOUGHTS  OF  THE  CUR&  OF  ARS. 


) 

struggles  against  those  who  would  restrain  it,  it 
opens  its  little  mouth  and  puts  up  its  tiny  hands 
to  embrace  her.  So  does  our  soul,  in  the  presence 
of  a  priest  naturally  go  forth  to  meet  him. 


VIII. 

THE  EUCHARIST. 

All  our  good  works  united  would  not  equal  one 
Sacrifice  of  the  Mass,  because  they  are  the  work  of 
man,  while  the  Mass  is  the  work  of  God.  Martyr¬ 
dom  is  nothing  in  comparison  to  the  Mass,  martyr¬ 
dom  being  the  sacrifice  which  man  makes  of  his 
life  to  God,  and  the  Mass  the  sacrifice  which  God 
makes  of  His  own  Body  and  Blood  to  man. 

When  before  the  Blessed  Sacrament,  instead  of 
looking  around  us,  let  us  close  our  eyes  and  open 
our  heart ;  it  is  then  the  good  God  will  open  His. 
We  will  go  to  Him,  He  will  come  to  us ;  to  ask  and 
to  receive  will  be  as  a  breath  from  one  to  the 
other. 

Our  Lord  has  said,  “Whatsoever  ye  ask  the 
Father  in  my  name,  He  will  give  it  to  you.” 
Never  should  we  have  thought  of  asking  God  for 
His  own  Son.  But  what  man  could  never  imagine, 
God  has  done ;  what  man  could  never  express  nor 
conceive,  and  what  he  had  never  presumed  to  de¬ 
sire,  God,  in  His  love,  has  expressed,  conceived 


THOUGHTS  OF  THE  CURE  OF  ARS. 


21 


\ 


and  executed.  Could  we  ever  have  dared  tell  God 
to  put  His  Son  to  death  for  us,  to  give  us  His  Son’s 
flesh  to  eat  and  His  Blood  to  drink  ?  Were  it 
otherwise,  man  would  then  have  been  able  to  im¬ 
agine  things  that  God  could  not  do ;  he  would  have 
outstripped  God  in  the  inventions  of  love  !  Ah  ! 
no,  this  were  impossible. 

All  created  beings  have  need  of  nourishment  in 
order  to  live  ;  this  is  why  the  good  God  has  made 
the  vegetable  world  with  its  trees  and  plants ;  it  is 
an  abundantly  served  table  where  all  the  animals 
come  to  obtain  nourishment,  each  taking  that  which 
is  best  suited  to  it.  But  the  soul  must  be  fed  as 
well  as  the  body.  When  God  wished  to  provide 
food  for  the  soul  to  sustain  its  strength  in  the 
pilgrimage  of  life,  casting  His  eye  over  creation, 
He  perceived  nothing  worthy  of  this  soul.  Then 
looking  in  upon  Himself  He  resolved  to  give  us 
Himself  for  our  food.  .  .  .  O  my  soul !  how  grand 
thou  art,  when  only  God  can  satisfy  thee !  .  .  .  . 

The  good  God  wishing  to  give  Himself  to  us  in 
the  Sacrament  of  His  love,  has  implanted  in  us  a 
desire,  grand  and  vast  that  He  alone  can  satisfy. 

.  .  .  Beside  this  beautiful  Sacrament,  we  are  like 
a  person  dying  of  thirst  on  the  river  shore :  he 
needs  but  bend  his  head  to  quench  his  thirst !  or 
like  one  who  remains  poor  while  a  treasure  is 
within  reach  which  he  has  only  to  stretch  forth  his 
hand  and  take  ! 

What  does  our  Lord  in  the  Sacrament  of  His 
love  ?  He  there  holds  captive  His  tender  Heart  to 


22 


THOUGHTS  OF  THE  CURE  OF  ARS. 


love  us.  From  this  Heart  there  flows  a  stream  of 
tenderness  and  mercy  to  wash  away  the  sins  of  the 
world. 

Without  the  Divine  Eucharist  there  would  be 
no  happiness  in  this  world ;  life  would  be  insup¬ 
portable.  When  we  receive  Holy  Communion  we 
receive  our  happiness,  our  joy. 

When  we  communicate,  we  experience  something 
extraordinary  within  us,  a  glow  of  satisfaction  that 
goes  all  through  our  body,  and  extends  even  to  the 
extremities.  What  is  this  ?  It  is  the  thrill  im¬ 
parted  to  every  part  of  our  body  by  the  presence  of 
our  Lord.  We  are  forced  to  say  with  St.  John,  “  It 
is  the  Lord  !  ”  They  who  feel  nothing  of  this  are 
greatly  to  be  pitied. 

When  we  come  from  the  altar,  were  some  one  to 
say  to  us,  “  What  do  you  bear  away  with  you  ?  ” 
you  could  answer  truthfully,  “  I  bear  Heaven  within 
me.” 

In  leaving  the  Holy  Table,  we  are  as  happy  as 
the  Magi  would  have  been,  could  they  have  taken 
the  Infant  Jesus  with  them. 

In  communicating,  the  soul  revels  in  the  balm  of 
love  as  the  bee  amid  the  flowers. 

One  knows  when  a  soul  has  received  worthily  the 
Sacrament  of  the  Eucharist.  She  is  so  immersed 
in  love,  so  penetrated  therewith  and  so  changed 
that  no  one  recognizes  her  as  the  same,  in  her 
actions  and  words.  .  .  .  She  is  humble,  meek,  mor- 
tified,  charitable  and  modest;  she  lives  in  peace  with 
everyone,  and  is  capable  of  the  greatest  sacrifices. 


THOUGHTS  OF  THE  CURE  OF  ARS. 


23 


At  the  Day  of  Judgment,  one  will  see  our  Lord’s 
flesh  shine  through  the  glorified  bodies  of  those 
who  received  Him  worthily  on  earth,  even  as  one 
sees  gold  shine  amid  brass,  or  silver  amid  lead. 

Go  to  Holy  Communion,  go  to  Jesus  with  love 
and  confidence  !  Go  to  live  upon  Him,  in  order  to 
live  for  Him  ! 

Do  not  say  that  you  have  too  much  to  do.  Did 
not  the  Divine  Saviour  say,  “  Come  to  me,  all  ye 
that  labor  and  are  heavy  laden,  and  I  will  re¬ 
fresh  you  ?  ”  Can  you  resist  an  invitation  so  full 
of  affection  and  tenderness  ? 

Do  not  say  that  you  are  not  worthy.  It  is  true 
that  you  are  not  worthy,  but  you  have  great  need 
of  Holy  Communion.  If  our  Lord  had  had  in 
view  your  worthiness,  He  would  never  have  insti¬ 
tuted  His  beautiful  Sacrament  of  love,  for  no  cre¬ 
ated  being  is  worthy  of  communicating,  neither 
saints,  nor  angels,  nor  archangels,  nor  even  the 
Blessed  Virgin  .  .  .  but  He  had  in  view  our 

needs,  and  we  all  have  great  need  of  it. 

Do  not  say  that  you  are  a  sinner,  too  full  of 
faults,  and  therefore  dare  not  approach.  This 
were  equivalent  to  saying  when  in  bodily  ill  health 
that  you  are  too  sick  to  call  in  a  physician  or  to 
take  medicine. 

If  you  love  not  the  Heart  of  Jesus,  what  then 
will  you  love  ?  This  Heart  is  all  love.  How  can 
you  fail  to  love  what  is  so  lovable  ? 


24 


THOUGHTS  OF  THE  CURE  OF  ARS. 


■  < 


IX. 

SIN. 

When  we  abandon  ourselves  to  our  passions,  we 
twine  a  network  of  thorns  around  our  heart. 

He  who  lives  in  sin  adopts  the  habits  and  ways 
of  the  beast,  which,  being  without  reason,  is  gov¬ 
erned  by  its  appetites ;  so  man,  rendering  himself 
like  the  beast,  loses  the  use  of  reason  and  yields  to 
the  movements  of  his  carcass. 

A  Christian,  created  to  the  image  of  God,  re¬ 
deemed  by  the  blood  of  a  God  !  A  Christian,  the 
child  of  a  God,  the  brother  of  a  God,  the  heir  of  a 
God!  A  Christian,  the  object  of  the  complacency 
of  the  Three  Divine  Persons  !  A  Christian,  whose 
body  is  the  temple  of  the  Holy  Spirit  .  .  .  be¬ 
hold  what  sin  dishonors  !  .  .  . 

Sin  is  the  executioner  of  the  good  God,  and  the 
soul’s  assassin.  It  is  sin  that  snatches  us  from 
heaven  to  cast  us  into  hell.  And  yet  we  love 
it !  ... 

To  offend  the  good  God  who  has  always  covered 
us  with  benefits,  and  to  please  the  demon  who  can 
never  do  us  aught  but  harm  —  oh  !  what  folly  ! 

The  good  God  desires  to  render  us  happy,  and 
we  refuse  to  be  so.  We  turn  away  from  Him  and 
give  ourselves  to  the  demon !  We  fly  from  our 
friend  and  give  ourselves  to  our  executioner  !  We 
waste  and  abuse  the  time  which  He  has  given  us  in 
order  that  we  may  work  out  our  salvation !  We 


THOUGHTS  OF  THE  CURE  OF  ARS. 


25 


make  war  against  Him  with  the  very  weapons  that 
He  gave  us  to  battle  for  Him  ! 

To  understand  that  we  are  the  work  of  a  God  is 
easy,  but  that  the  crucifixion  of  a  God  should  be 
our  work  !  !  !  oh,  this  issomething  incomprehens¬ 
ible  ! 

Our  Lord  is  like  a  good  mother  holding  a 
naughty  child  in  her  arms.  It  struggles  to  get 
away,  it  kicks  her,  it  bites,  it  scratches  her,  but  to 
all  this  she  pays  no  attention,  knowing  that  if  she 
lets  go  of  it,  the  child  will  fall ;  it  cannot  walk 
alone.  .  .  . 

Such  is  our  Lord’s  conduct  towards  us.  .  .  . 
He  endures  all  our  bad  treatment  of  Him ;  He 
bears  patiently  with  our  arrogance ;  He  pardons 
all  our  follies  and  abuse  of  Him  ;  He  has  pity  on 
us  in  spite  of  ourselves. 

The  good  God  is  more  eager  to  pardon  a  re¬ 
pentant  sinner  than  a  mother  to  snatch  her  child 
from  the  fire. 

Picture  to  yourself  a  poor  mother  obliged  to 
make  the  knife  of  the  guillotine  descend  upon  her 
own  child’s  head ;  this  is  but  a  faint  picture  of  the 
good  God  when  He  condemns  a  sinner  to  Hell ! 

Our  faults  are  as  a  grain  of  sand  beside  the 
great  mountain  of  the  mercies  of  God. 

The  mercy  of  God  is  like  an  irresistible  torrent 
sweeping  away  hearts  in  its  course. 

Is  it  not  folly  indeed  for  us  to  prefer  Hell,  when 
we  can  taste,  even  in  this  life,  the  joys  of  Heaven, 
by  uniting  ourselves  to  God  by  love  ?  Oh  !  folly 


26  THOUGHTS  OF  THE  CURE  OF  ARS. 

incomprehensible  folly,  that  we  can  never  suffi¬ 
ciently  bewail ! 

I  know  of  nothing  more  pitiable  than  these  poor 
worldlings.  They  wear  a  mantle  lined  with  thorns, 
and  they  cannot  move  without  its  pricking  them ; 
while  good  Christians  are  wrapped  in  a  mantle 
lined  with  rabbit  skin. 

The  good  Christian  travels  over  life’s  road  in  a 
beautiful  triumphal  chariot,  drawn  by  angels  and 
guided  by  our  Lord  Himself,  while  the  poor 
sinner  is  harnessed  to  life’s  chariot,  and  the  demon 
seated  therein  urges  him  on  with  continued  lashes. 


X. 

HELL. 

Heaven,  Hell  and  Purgatory  have  a  kind  of 
prelude  in  this  life.  Purgatory  is  in  the  souls 
who  are  not  dead  to  self  ;  Hell,  in  the  hearts  of 
the  impious  ;  Heaven,  in  the  souls  of  the  perfect 
which  are  united  to  our  Lord. 

The  world  conceals  from  us  Heaven  and  Hell : 
Heaven,  because  if  its  beauty  were  known,  one 
would  seek  to  go  there  at  any  price,  the  world 
would  be  little  regarded ;  Hell,  because  if  its  tor¬ 
ments  were  known,  one  would  wish  to  avoid  them 
at  any  cost. 

It  really  seems  as  if  poor  sinners  do  not  wish  to 


THOUGHTS  OF  THE  CURE  OF  ARS. 


27 


wait  for  the  sentence  which  condemns  them  to  the 
society  of  demons ;  they  condemn  themselves 
thereto. 

Some  lose  faith,  and  see  Hell  only  on  entering  it. 

If  a  soul  in  Hell  could  even  but  once  say,  “  My 
God,  I  love  Thee  !  ”  there  would  no  longer  be  any 
Hell  for  it.  .  .  .  But,  alas  !  this  poor  soul !  it  has 
lost  that  power  of  loving  which  God  gave  it,  but 
which  it  did  not  know  how  to  use.  Its  heart  is  dry 
like  the  grape  that  has  been  through  the  wine-press. 
There  is  no  more  happiness  in  this  soul,  no  more 
peace,  because  there  is  no  more  love !  .  .  . 

God's  goodness  and  beauty  enkindle  the  flames 
of  Hell.  The  damned  will  say,  “  Oh,  if  God  had 
not  loved  us  so  much,  our  sufferings  would  be  less, 
Hell  would  be  supportable  !  But  to  have  been  so 
loved  by  Him  !  What  anguish  it  gives  us  now  ! 

What  good  use  would  not  lost  souls  make  of  the 
time  that  we  lose  !  Had  they  but  half  an  hour, 
that  half-hour  were  sufficient  to  empty  Hell ! 

If  some  one  could  say  to  the  damned,  “  We  are 
going  to  place  a  priest  at  the  gates  of  Hell,  and  all 
who  wish  to  confess  have  but  to  go  thither,”  do 
you  believe  that  even  one  soul  would  hesitate  to 
profit  by  the  opportunity  ?  Oh,  how  quickly  Hell 
would  be  emptied  and  Heaven  filled  ! 

Well,  now,  let  us  remember  that  we  have  the 
time  and  means  that  these  poor  reprobates  have 
not. 

For  what  do  men  expose  themselves  to  God’s 
curse  ?  ...  For  a  blasphemy,  a  bad  thought, 


28 


THOUGHTS  OF  THE  CURE  OF  ARS. 


i 

for  two  minutes  of  pleasure !  Oh,  for  two  min¬ 
utes  of  pleasure  to  lose  God,  one’s  soul  and  Heaven 
forever !  .  .  . 

If  you  should  see  a  man  heaping  up  faggots  to 
build  a  pyre  and  upon  asking  him  what  he  was 
doing,  he  should  answer :  “I  am  preparing  the  fire 
that  is  to  consume  me,  ”  what  would  you  think  ? 
And  if,  when  the  flames  were  enkindled,  this  man 
should  cast  himself  into  them,  what  would  you 
say  ?  This  is  what  we  do  when  we  commit  sin. 

It  is  not  God  who  casts  us  into  Hell ;  no,  it  is 
we  who  cast  ourselves  therein  by  our  sins.  The 
damned  will  say,  “  I  have  lost  God,  my  soul, 
Heaven,  through  my  fault,  through  my  fault,  through 
my  most  grievous  fault !  ”  They  continually  rise 
up  from  the  furnace,  but  to  fall  back  therein. 
They  will  always  feel  the  irresistible  impulse  to 
rise,  because  created  for  God,  the  grandest,  the 
highest  of  beings,  the  Most  High  .  .  .  even  as  a 
bird  in  a  room  ever  seeks  the  ceiling,  but  to  find 
the  ceiling  an  impassable  barrier  .  .  .  God’s  jus¬ 
tice  is  the  ceiling  that  opposes  the  damned. 


XI. 

SUFFERING. 

There  are  two  ways  of  suffering :  to  suffer  with 
love,  and  to  suffer  without  love.  The  saints  suf¬ 
fered  everything  with  patience,  joy  and  constancy, 


THOUGHTS  OF  THE  CURE  OF  ARS.  29 

because  they  loved ;  but  we,  we  suffer  with  anger, 
vexation,  weariness,  because  we  do  not  love. 

If  we  loved  God,  we  would  love  crosses,  we 
would  desire  them,  we  would  take  delight  in  them. 
We  would  be  happy  to  have  it  in  our  power  to 
suffer  for  love  of  Him  who  vouchsafed  to  suffer  so 
much  for  us. 

Do  you  say  that  this  is  hard  ?  No,  it  is  con¬ 
soling,  it  is  sweet,  it  is  happiness  even !  .  .  .  Only 
we  must  love  in  suffering,  we  must  suffer  and  love. 

Oh !  what  sweetness  those  souls  experience  in 
suffering  who  are  all  for  God  !  Suffering  to  them  is 
as  vinegar  mingled  with  a  great  deal  of  oil :  the 
vinegar  is  always  vinegar,  but  its  acidity  is  scarcely 
perceived,  so  disguised  is  it  by  the  plentiful  ad¬ 
mixture  of  oil. 

There  is  no  happiness  in  this  world  except  for 
those  who  possess  tranquility  of  soul ;  and  these, 
amid  the  trials  of  life,  taste  the  joy  of  the  children 
of  God. 

All  trials  and  sufferings  are  sweet  when  united  to 
the  sufferings  of  our  Lord. 

What  matters  it  if  we  do  suffer  ?  ’Tis  but  for  a 
moment,  and  the  price  of  this  moment  of  suffering 
we  should  appreciate  could  we  spend  but  eight 
days  in  Heaven.  Ah !  then,  indeed,  we  should  not 
find  our  cross  heavy  enough,  our  trials  bitter 
enough. 

Trials  for  those  who  love  God  are  not  chastise- 
ments,  but  graces. 

What  are  twenty  years,  thirty  years,  compared  to 


30  THOUGHTS  OF  THE  CUR&  OF  ARS. 

\ 

eternity  ?  .  .  .  And  what  is  it  that  we  have  so 
much  to  suffer  here  ?  Some  humiliations,  some 
clashing  with  others,  some  cutting  words.  These 
do  not  kill.  How  good  it  is  to  die  when  one  has 
lived  on  the  cross !  We  should  run  to  seek  the 
cross  as  the  miser  seeks  silver. 

The  cross  is  God’s  gift  to  His  friends.  We 
should  never  consider  whence  crosses  come ;  they 
come  from  God.  They  are  always  from  God  who 
gives  us  this  means  of  proving  our  love  for  Him. 

In  the  Way  of  the  Cross  it  is  only  the  first  step 
which  costs.  The  fear  of  the  cross  is  our  greatest 
cross. 

One  does  wrong  indeed  who  lacks  the  courage 
to  carry  his  cross,  for,  do  what  we  will,  the  cross 
clings  to  us,  we  cannot  escape  it. 

He  who  goes  forth  to  seek  the  cross,  finds  it  be¬ 
fore  him,  he  meets  it,  but  he  is  pleased  to  meet  it ; 
he  loves  it,  he  bears  it  courageously ;  it  unites  him  to 
our  Lord  ;  it  purifies  him  and  detaches  him  from  this 
world  ;  it  removes  from  his  heart  all  obstacles  to  his 
spiritual  progress  ;  it  aids  him  on  the  journey  of  life, 
even  as  a  bridge  enables  us  to  cross  over  water. 

The  worldly  are  afflicted  when  they  have  crosses, 
and  good  Christians  when  they  do  not  have  them. 
The  Christian  lives  amid  crosses  as  the  fish  lives  in 
the  water. 

It  is  only  crosses  that  will  reassure  us  at  the  Day 
of  Judgment.  When  that  Day  comes,  how  happy 
we  shall  be  at  our  past  trials,  how  proud  of  our 
humiliations,  how  rich  in  our  sacrifices ! 


THOUGHTS  OF  THE  CURE  OF  ARS.  31 

We  must  consider  the  recompense,  not  the  labor. 
A  merchant  does  not  rest  his  attention  upon  the 
toils  and  troubles  of  his  business,  but  upon  the  gain 
which  he  expects  to  derive  from  it. 

Crosses  transformed  in  the  flames  of  love  are  like 
a  bundle  of  thorns  cast  into  the  fire  and  reduced  to 
ashes.  The  thorns  are  hard  but  the  ashes  are 
soft. 

A  delicious  juice  exudes  from  the  grape  when 
put  under  the  press.  Even  so  does  our  soul,  under 
the  press  of  the  cross,  produce  a  juice  which  nour¬ 
ishes  and  strengthens  us. 

When  we  have  no  cross,  our  soul  is  parched  and 
sterile.  When  we  bear  crosses  with  resignation, 
we  experience  much  happiness  and  sweetness  !  .  .  . 
it  is  the  beginning  of  Heaven. 

The  thorns  give  forth  balm,  and  the  cross  exhales 
fragrance ;  but  we  must  press  the  thorns  in  our 
hands,  and  the  cross  upon  our  heart,  in  order  to 
make  them  distil  the  juices  which  they  contain. 

Contradictions  place  us  at  the  foot  of  the  cross, 
and  the  cross  bears  us  to  Heaven. 


XII. 

HOPE  AND  HEAVEN. 

There  are  some  persons  in  this  world  who  hope 
too  much,  and  others  who  do  not  hope  enough. 

i 


i 


32  THOUGHTS  OF  THE  CURE  OF  ARS. 

■  i 

We  wish  to  go  to  Heaven,  but  in  all  ease  and  com¬ 
fort,  without  giving  ourselves  any  trouble  to  get 
there ;  this  is  not  the  way  of  the  saints. 

What  would  you  say  of  a  man  who  should  till 
his  neighbor’s  field  and  leave  his  own  uncultivated  ? 
Ah  !  this  is  just  what  you  are  doing.  You  dig  con¬ 
tinually  in  the  conscience  of  others  and  leave  your 
own  conscience  fallow.  At  the  hour  of  death, 
what  will  not  be  our  regret  at  having  thought  so 
much  about  others  and  so  little  about  ourselves  ! 
for  we  must  render  an  account  not  of  others,  but  of 
ourselves. 

,  We  have  always  two  secretaries,  the  demon  who 
writes  down  our  bad  deeds,  in  order  to  accuse  us, 
and  our  Guardian  Angel,  who  records  the  good,  in 
order  to  justify  us  at  the  Day  of  Judgment. 

The  demon  amuses  us  until  the  last  moment, 
just  as  one  amuses  a  culprit,  while  awaiting  the 
arrival  of  the  officers  who  are  to  arrest  him.  When 
they  seize  him,  he  cries  out,  he  struggles  against 
them,  but,  nevertheless,  they  hold  him  fast. 

When  the  record  of  our  deeds  is  laid  before  God 
how  little  that  is  truly  agreeable  to  Him,  will  even 
our  best  acts  contain  !  So  many  imperfections,  so 
many  thoughts  of  self-love,  of  human  satisfaction, 
of  sensual  pleasure,  of  selfishness,  will  be  found 
mingled  with  them !  They  were  good  in  appear¬ 
ance,  but  in  appearance  only,  like  those  fruits  which 
owe  their  apparent  ripeness  to  the  ravages  of  a 
worm. 

What  would  you  say  of  a  father  who  treated  a 


r 


THOUGHTS  OH  THE  CURE  OF  ARS.  33 


good  child  and  a  naughty  child  alike  ?  You  would 
say,  “  This  father  is  not  just.  ”  Nor  would  God  be 
just  if  He  made  no  difference  between  those  who 
serve  and  those  who  offend  Him. 

Thje  earth  is  a  bridge  over  which  we  pass  from 
one  shore  of  eternity  to  the  other ;  it  is  merely  a 
foundation  for  our  feet  to  rest  upon. 

In  dying,  we  make  restitution  :  we  restore  to 
earth  what  it  gave  us.  ...  A  little  pinch  of  dust 
—  behold  what  we  shall  all  become !  Is  this 
much  to  be  proud  of  ? 

We  resemble  those  little  piles  of  sand  heaped  up 
in  the  road  by  the  wind,  appearing  for  a  moment, 
turning  round  and  round  and  immediately  swept 
away.  .  .  .  Our  dead  brethren  are  already  reduced 
to  this  handful  of  ashes. 

For  our  body,  death  is  only  a  purification. 

In  this  world,  we  must  labor,  we  must  combat. 
We  shall  have  ample  time  for  rest  in  eternity. 

Did  we  fully  comprehend  our  happiness,  we 
could  almost  say  that  we  are  more  fortunate  than 
the  saints  in  Heaven.  They  live  upon  their  in¬ 
come  ;  they  can  gain  nothing  more,  while  we,  we 
can  augment  our  treasure  every  moment. 

What  would  you  say  of  a  person  who  should  fill 
his  house  with  a  supply  of  perishable  provisions, 
which  must  be  thrown  away  because  they  will  spoil, 
and  yet  who  should  make  no  attempt  to  collect 
gold,  diamonds,  or  other  precious  stones  that  are 
imperishable  and  which  would  make  his  fortune  ? 
.  .  .  This  is  just  what  we  do,  we  attach  ourselves 


34  THOUGHTS  OF  THE  CUR&  OF  ARS. 


to  matter,  to  that  which  must  perish,  and  give  no 
thought  to  the  acquisition  of  Heaven,  the  only  true 
treasure. 

Go  from  place  to  place,  from  kingdom  to  king¬ 
dom,  from  grandeur  to  grandeur,  from  pleasure  to 
pleasure,  you  will  not  find  your  happiness  in  any 
of  these  things.  The  entire  world  can  no  more 
satisfy  an  immortal  soul  than  can  a  pinch  of  meal 
put  into  the  mouth  of  one  who  is  famishing,  revive 
him. 

What  bliss  is  not  that  of  the  just  when,  at  the 
end  of  the  world,  the  soul  embalmed  with  the  per¬ 
fumes  of  Heaven  shall  come  to  seek  its  body,  that 
once  more  united  they  may  enjoy  God,  during  all 
eternity !  Then  our  bodies  will  come  forth  from 
the  earth,  like  linen  which  has  passed  through  the 
wash.  .  .  .  The  bodies  of  the  just  shall  shine  in 
Heaven  as  magnificent  diamonds,  as  globes  of  love  ! 

What  a  cry  of  joy  will  resound  through  the  air 
when  the  soul  unites  itself  to  its  glorified  body, 
now  no  longer  an  instrument  of  sin,  nor  an  occa¬ 
sion  of  suffering  for  it !  In  the  balm  of  love  will  it 
revel,  as  the  bee  amid  the  flowers.  Behold  the 
soul  embalmed  for  all  eternity ! 


( 


V  ** 


hi, ,  h 


\ '  V 


Date  Due 


1 

/?  r- 

kf  f\  i.(  i 

< 

/< 

v  \ 

7vy  zz/y/U. 

OCT  If) '53 

^  n<V 

*  f  f™ 

6 

JUKI  c  if 

iqi 

i  Jl 

-  »  *  ** 

WAP 

^  J  4UUO 

<f> 

BOSTON  COLLEGE 


3  9031 


1253782  5 


Vianney , 

John  B. 

16766 

Author 

Thoughts 

of  the 

Cure  of  Ars 

Title 

'i l 

Y 

'  J 

3  KV7 oo 

.  vssi 

BOSTON  COLLEGE  LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  HEIGHTS 
CHESTNUT  HILL,  MASS. 

Books  may  be  kept  for  two  weeks  and  may  be 
renewed  for  the  same  period,  unless  reserved. 

Two  cents  a  day  is  charged  for  each  book  kept 
overtime. 

If  you  cannot  find  what  you  want,  ask  the 
Librarian  who  will  be  glad  to  help  you. 

The  borrower  is  responsible  for  books  drawn 
on  his  card  and  for  all  fines  accruing  on  the  same. 


